Picture frame easel



1967 I L. H. v. ANDERSON 3,350,047

PICTURE FRAME EASEL Oct. 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LARS H E LG E VAL DERMA R A ND ERSON 34111101 W J M ATTORNEY Oct. 31, 1967 v, N R 3,350,047

PICTURE FRAME EASEL Filed Oct. 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i7 15 72 I9 D 46 55 4 wezzaaAWwzm INVENTOR L ARS HE LG E VALDER MAR ANDERSON ATTORNEY United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An easel that may be easily assembled for use and disassembled into component parts for transportation.

This invention relates to easels and more particularly to a brace plate provided with a plurality of folding legs whereby the easel may be set in an inclined position to support display cards, and the parts may be snugly folded together when not in use.

An object of the present invention is to provide simple and efiicient means for connecting a plurality of pivotal legs with a brace plate, whereby the parts may be readily assembled, extended, folded into a. compact unit or disassembled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an easel fabricated from metal stampings whereby the natural spring-like characteristics of the metal is utilized in the locking and unlocking of the several parts into an assembled or disassembled unit.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in part and be pointed out in part in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view proved picture frame easel.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the several parts.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross sectional View taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of the brace plate and legs.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken on line 66 of FIGURE 5.

In proceeding with this invention reference is made to all of the figures in the drawings wherein, a plurality of legs, illustrated as three in number, 11, 12, 13 are adapted to be pivotally connected. Legs 11 and 13 are, respectively, provided with pivot pins 14 and 15. Leg 12 is provided with a bearing 16, and a stop pin 17. Legs 11 and 13 are also provided with parallel and oppositely disposed recesses, 18, 19, respectively.

A U shaped sliding member, generally indicated at 21, consists of a front 22 and oppositely disposed and parallel wings 23, 24. Each wing 23, 24 is provided with a pivoting orifice 25, 26, respectively, slotted at 27, 28, respectively, to provide an entrance slot.

A brace plate, generally indicated by reference numeral 30, is provided with a plurality of sleeves illustrated as four sleeves or sockets 31, 32, 33, 34 integrally stamped and formed out of the body metal 35. A plurality of similar orifices 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 are also provided in body 35. A window 42 and a clearance orifice 43 may also be provided in body 35. A plurality of support pads illustrated as two pairs or sets of supporting pads 44, 45 and 46, 47 are integrally formed in body 35 with pivoting spaces 48, 49 provided, respectively, between pads 44, 45 and 46, 47.

A brace arm, generally indicated at 50, consists of a of the new and im- I 55' will be placed, respectively orifices 25, 26. Front 22 will abut stop 3,350,047 Patented 0a; 31, 1967 wire formed with a U shaped pivot portion 51, and. with two oppositely disposed and parallel arms 52, 53' provided with formed or bent ends. 54, 55,, respectively.

The component parts of a complete easel has just been described. The several parts are assembled as follows: sliding member 21 is placed upon leg 12. Pivot portion 51 is passed through slots 27, 28 to pivot in pivoting pin 17. Pivot pins 14, 15 will engage bearing 16 so that legs 11 and 13 are pivotally mounted on opposite sides of leg 12. Ends 54, in recesses 18, 19. Brace plate 35 will be placed against legs 11 and 13 with pads 44, 45 located in recess 18 with end 54 located in space 48. In like manner and at the same time pads 46, 47 will be located in recess 19 with end 55 located in space 49. Sleeves or sockets 31, 34 will embrace leg 11. Sockets 32, 33 willembrace leg 13. Sockets 31, 34, 32, 33 will be folded over so as to grip legs 11 and 13 respectively. Pads 44, 45 in recess 18 and pads 46, 47 in recess 19 will prevent brace plate 35 from sliding along legs- 11, 13 and ends 54, 55 will be pivotally held in position by body 35 between the respective pads. The sliding of member 21 upon leg 12 above stop pin 17 will pivot leg 12 against and away from body 35. In away or extended position a display card or similar material may be attached to brace plate 30 through orifices 36 thru 41, or a picture frame may be attached thereto in the following manner.

A picture frame or display shelf, generally indicated by reference numeral '60 consists of a body member 61 having turned edges forming slots 62, 63. A plurality of sleeves illustrated as four sleeves 64, 65, 66, 67 are integrally formed in body member 61. A U shaped slot 70 is provided in body member 61 so as to provide a resilient tongue 71 having an abutment 72.

Body 35, of brace plate 30, is tapered along opposite sides 73, 74 so that sides 73, 74 may be slid into removably secured position within sleeves 64, 65 and 6-6, 67, respectively, with abutment located in window 42 where a detent action takes place due to the resiliency or spring action of tongue 71. The detent looks display shelf 60 to brace plate 30. So that when leg 12 is extended edge 78 on abutment 72 supports holding surface 79 in body 35.

When leg 12 is placed in folded position against body 35, stop pin 17 will pass through clearance orifice 43 to engage body member 61 and leg 12 will strike abutment 72 to disengage edge 78 from holding surface 79, thereby allowing tapered sides 73, 74 to be slid out of engagement with sleeves 64, 65 and 66, 67, respectively.

As previously described, leg 12 pivots toward body 35 when sliding member 21 is slid along leg 12 away from stop pin 17.

A cap provided with indentations 91 in opposite sides may be placed over the top of legs 11, 12, 13 for decorative purposes.

Having shown and described preferred embodiments of the present invention, by way of example, it should be realized that structural changes could be made and other examples given without departing from either the spirit or scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. An easel comprising a plurality of legs, means uniting said plurality of legs in pivotal relationship, a sliding member slidingly mounted upon one of said legs, a brace plate, means fastening said brace plate to two of said plurality of legs, a bracing arm, having two ends, pivotally mounted to said sliding member, and means pivotally fastening said two ends to said brace plate, a display shelf consisting of a body member, means removably securing said display shelf to said brace plate,

detent means between said display shelf and said brace plate locking said display shelf to said brace plate, and one of said plurality of legs pivotally engaging said detent means to unlock said detent means.

2. An easel comprising a plurality of legs, means uniting said plurality of legs in pivotal relationship, a sliding member slidingly mounted upon one of said legs, a brace plate, means fastening said brace plate to two of said plurality of legs, a bracing arm, having two ends, pivotally mounted to said sliding member, and means pivotally fastening said two ends to said brace plate, said brace plate having a window provided with a holding surface, and a clearance orifice, a display shelf consisting of a body member having turned edges forming slots, a plurality of sleeves, a slot in said body member providing a resilient tongue having an abutment an edge on said abutment, said brace plate having tapered opposite sides slidingly mounted in said plarality of sleeves to removably secure said display shelf to said brace plate, with said abutment located in said window and with said edge engaging said holding surface, whereby in folded position one of said plurality of legs engages said abutment on said resilient tongue to move said edge away from said holding surface to condition said display shelf for sliding movement away from said tapered opposite sides and with said stop pin located in said clearance orifice.

3. An easel comprising a first leg, a second leg, a third leg, means pivoting said second leg to both said first leg and said third leg, said first leg having a first recess, said second leg having a second recess parallel and opposite to said first recess, a sliding member consisting of a front and oppositely disposed parallel wings, each of said parallel wings having a pivoting orifice, said sliding member slidingly mounted upon said second leg, a stop pin fixed in said second leg limiting the sliding movement of said sliding member, a brace plate provided with four sleeves, a first set of supporting pads having a pivoting space and a second set of supporting pads having a second pivoting space, two of said four sleeves fastening said first leg to said brace plate with said first set of supporting pads located in said first recess the other two of said four sleeves fastening said second leg to said brace plate with said second set of supporting pads located in said second recess, and a brace arm having a pivot portion, two parallel arms projecting from said pivot portion, each arm having a formed end, said pivot portion pivotally mounted in the pivoting orifice in each of said parallel wings, and one of said formed ends pivotally located in said first mentioned pivoting space and the other formed end pivotally located in said second pivoting space whereby said second leg pivots toward and away from said brace plate.

4. An easel as defined in claim 3, characterized by: said brace plate having a window provided with a holding surface, and a clearance orifice, a display shelf consisting of a body member having turned edges froming slots, a plurality of sleeves, a slot in said body member providing a resilient tongue having an abutment an edge on said abutment, said brace plate having tapered opposite sides, slidingly mounted in said plurality of sleeves to removably secure said display shelf to said brace plate, with said abutment located in said window and with said edge engaging said holding surface, whereby in folded position said second leg engages said abutment on said resilient tongue to move said edge away from said holding surface to condition said display shelf for sliding movement away from said tapered opposite sides and with said stop pin located in said clearance orifice.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 526,907 10/ 1894 Lurssen 248465 2,142,317 1/1939 Jarret 248464 X 2,478,592 8/1949 Nyberg 182169 X 2,638,300 5/1953 De Jen 248464 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN EASEL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF LEGS, MEANS UNITING SAID PLURALITY OF LEGS IN PIVOTAL RELATIONSHIP, A SLIDING MEMBER SLIDINGLY MOUNTED UPON ONE OF SAID LEGS, A BRACE PLATE, MEANS FASTENING SAID BRACE PLATE TO TWO OF SAID PLURALITY OF LEGS, A BRACING ARM, HAVING TWO ENDS, PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO SAID SLIDING MEMBER, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY FASTENING SAID TWO ENDS TO SAID BRACE PLATE, A DISPLAY SHELF CONSISTING OF A BODY MEMBER, MEANS REMOVABLY SECURING SAID DISPLAY SHELF TO SAID BRACE PLATE, DETENT MEANS BETWEEN SAID DISPLAY SHELF AND SAID BRACE PLATE LOCKING SAID DISPLAY SHELF TO SAID BRACE PLATE, AND ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF LEGS PIVOTALLY ENGAGING SAID DETENT MEANS TO UNLOCK SAID DETENT MEANS. 